Several scholars, lawmakers, intelligence agencies, and the members of the public expressed concerns about political violence surrounding the 2024 election.[158][159] The fears came amidst increasing threats and acts of physical violence targeting public officials and election workers at all levels of government.[160][161] Trump was identified as a key figure in increasing political violence in the United States both for and against him.[162][163][164] Political violence was at its highest since the 1970s, and the most recent violence came from right-wing assailants.[165][166] Trump increasingly embraced far-right extremism, conspiracy theories such as Q-Anon, and far-right militia movements to a greater extent than any modern American president.[20][21] Trump also espoused dehumanizing, combative, and violent rhetoric, and promised retribution against his political enemies.[b] Trump played down but refused to rule out violence following the 2024 election, stating "it depends".[173] Trump also suggested using the military against "the enemy from within" on Election Day that he described as "radical left lunatics", Democratic politicians, and those opposeed to his candidacy.[174][175]
Assassination attempts
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On July 13, 2024, Trump survived an assassination attempt while addressing a campaign rally near Butler, Pennsylvania.[23] Trump was shot and wounded on his right ear by Thomas Matthew Crooks, a 20-year-old man from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania,[176][177] who fired eight rounds with an AR-15–style rifle from the roof of a building located approximately 400 feet (120 metres) from the stage; the shots killed audience member Corey Comperatore and critically injured two other audience members.[176] Seconds later, Crooks was shot and killed by the U.S. Secret Service's counter-sniper team.[178] The motive and cause of the assassination attempt are still under investigation by authorities.[179] On September 11, 2024, a bipartisan Senate report identified tech issues and other preventable mistakes by the Secret Service during the event.[180] On September 15, 2024, Trump survived a separate assassination attempt at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida. The suspect did not fire his weapon, and no deaths or injuries were reported.[24] The suspect, Ryan Wesley Routh, is in custody.[181]
Violence towards election workers
Since the 2020 election and continuing into the 2024 election, the election denial movement prompted thousands of death threats directed at election workers, officials, and their families, with some receiving letters laced with fentanyl.[182][183] As of March 2024, the Department of Justice's Election Threats Task Force had charged 20 people with threat-related crimes.[184] In September 2024, suspicious packages were sent to state election officials in Iowa, Kansas, Oklahoma, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nebraska, Tennessee, and Wyoming, which resulted in evacuations in several states. The inclusion of white powder in most of the packages mirrored the 2001 anthrax attacks; the substance in the Oklahoma delivery was identified as flour.[185] Threats led some election workers to resign, and affected recruitment of temporary poll workers.[186][187] Efforts to protect election workers were diverse, and included active shooter training, provision of first aid kits and Narcan, bulletproof vests, bulletproof glass, metal detectors, physical barriers, armed guards, police snipers, drones, and security cameras;[186] however, many locations lack the funds to implement such measures.[187] During early voting in San Antonio, Texas, a voter was arrested and charged for allegedly assaulting an elderly poll worker. The worker reportedly asked the man multiple times to remove his MAGA hat at the polling location. In Texas, it is illegal to wear any clothing showing support of political candidates while in a polling location.[188]
Violence towards voters
On October 30, 2024, an 18-year-old man in Jacksonville, Florida, was arrested for aggravated assault and improper exhibition of a dangerous weapon after brandishing a machete at two women outside an early voting center. He along with seven other teenagers, allegedly approached and antagonized members of the opposing political party as they were demonstrating. Neither the teenager's nor the women's political parties were disclosed, although later posts by the Duval Democratic Party described the teenager's party as a "group of young men carrying Trump flags".[189] On November 1, 2024, a voter wearing a "Let's Go Brandon" hat was reportedly struck by a poll worker after a verbal altercation over his hat at an Orangeburg County, South Carolina, polling location. Although it is illegal to wear anything supporting a candidate whose name is on the ballot, wearing a general political message is permitted by South Carolina law.[190] Also on November 1, a man in Bath, New York, was arrested for assaulting someone in a supermarket for wearing a Trump hat.[191]
Arson of ballot boxes
In late October 2024, multiple fires were reported at ballot drop boxes in Portland, Oregon, and Vancouver, Washington. The fires damaged hundreds of ballots, requiring election officials to identify and offer new ballots to those affected by the fires. Prior to the fires, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Homeland Security had issued a bulletin raising concerns that "election-related grievances" could motivate domestic extremist activity and that ballot drop boxes could potentially be "attractive targets".[192][193] In Phoenix, Arizona, a fire was started in a mail collection box, destroying some ballots and other mail. A suspect was arrested and claimed that the fire was unrelated to the election.[194]
